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Executive and Legislative documents laid before the General Assembly of North-Carolina [1872; 1873]

lS72-'i3.] Document No. 23. 15
tioiis were reduced in quantity from JMay till Xovember.
The prisoners always had meat or herrings for breakfost
;
for dinner, meat and bread and peas or vegetables. No one
perished, and I do not know that any one was sick for want
of food. The sick, so far as I know, Avere Avell fed. The
prisoners generally looked emaciated and were too M'eak to
work. Since November, 1871, the meals have been sufficient
in quantity and quality, except an occasional meal which
would be short or rather inferior. We signed the reports
that they were good and sufficient under a promise that they
would be improved, which was always done. We also signed
a report that the clothing was good under a promise that it
should be made good, and the deficiency was supplied when
the materials were on hand. There was some delay in get-ting
the goods from the manufacturers' hands during the
Fall of 1871. There was some delay in getting the uniform
ready for the convicts at the same time. During this delay
they were required to use their old clothes and citizens'
clothes, which were worn pretty bare. Mr. Murray stated
that as they were to be put in new uniform it was right and
proper to make them use their old clothes as long as possi-ble,
as they would be no longer used. This Avas in Septem-ber
and October, 1871. I saw Granville Ferrell wearing ball
and chain, which were taken off" when he was taken to the
hospital. I was present when G. Terrell was examined, with
regard, to the causes of the revolt, by the President of the
Board of Directors, when he and others stated that they
plotted and engaged in the revolt because they were informed
by George Williams, a nurse at the hospital, that Governor
Caldwell had told some of the guard that if they remained
at the Penitentiary and fired upon the convicts, in the event
of an attempt to escape, that> he would have them punished
for murder. The other leaders in the revolt were punished
in the same manner that Granville Ferrell was. I have
never known any sick convicts to be punished. When a
man report(^d himself sick he was allowed to go to the lios-

lS72-'i3.] Document No. 23. 15
tioiis were reduced in quantity from JMay till Xovember.
The prisoners always had meat or herrings for breakfost
;
for dinner, meat and bread and peas or vegetables. No one
perished, and I do not know that any one was sick for want
of food. The sick, so far as I know, Avere Avell fed. The
prisoners generally looked emaciated and were too M'eak to
work. Since November, 1871, the meals have been sufficient
in quantity and quality, except an occasional meal which
would be short or rather inferior. We signed the reports
that they were good and sufficient under a promise that they
would be improved, which was always done. We also signed
a report that the clothing was good under a promise that it
should be made good, and the deficiency was supplied when
the materials were on hand. There was some delay in get-ting
the goods from the manufacturers' hands during the
Fall of 1871. There was some delay in getting the uniform
ready for the convicts at the same time. During this delay
they were required to use their old clothes and citizens'
clothes, which were worn pretty bare. Mr. Murray stated
that as they were to be put in new uniform it was right and
proper to make them use their old clothes as long as possi-ble,
as they would be no longer used. This Avas in Septem-ber
and October, 1871. I saw Granville Ferrell wearing ball
and chain, which were taken off" when he was taken to the
hospital. I was present when G. Terrell was examined, with
regard, to the causes of the revolt, by the President of the
Board of Directors, when he and others stated that they
plotted and engaged in the revolt because they were informed
by George Williams, a nurse at the hospital, that Governor
Caldwell had told some of the guard that if they remained
at the Penitentiary and fired upon the convicts, in the event
of an attempt to escape, that> he would have them punished
for murder. The other leaders in the revolt were punished
in the same manner that Granville Ferrell was. I have
never known any sick convicts to be punished. When a
man report(^d himself sick he was allowed to go to the lios-